Western False Asphodel: Carnivorous Flower Stem for Nitrogen

[BillTre]

The western false asphodel (Triantha occidentalis) has been shown to be carnivorous, but only on the stem of it's flower (so only in flowering season).

Insects get stuck on sticky little threads on the flower stem and then get digested there (kind of like a sundew plants does).

News article from Science.
NY Times article.

One of the articles also mentioned the genus Philcoxia, another kind of carnivorous plant I had not heard of. It grows underground leaves to gather very small soil nematodes.

In all cases, the plants do this to get nitrogen, which they can not get from the soils in which they grow.

 

[DaveC426913]

That's awesome. Nature rulz!

 

[Astronuc]

The western false asphodel (Triantha occidentalis) has been shown to be carnivorous, but only on the stem of it's flower (so only in flowering season).

I'd like to find a plant that attracts and digests Japanese beetles and brown marmorated stink bugs.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_marmorated_stink_bug

Since the raspberry patch died back, we haven't seen Japanese beetles, but we see many stink bugs, mostly those that wintered in the siding and window frames.

I've seen fly traps and pitcher plants in the area, but non in our neighborhood.

 

[Rive]

I'd like to find a plant that attracts and digests Japanese beetles and brown marmorated stink bugs

Samurai wasps are coming for rescue!